The Portland daily press., 1887-08-16
The National LEAGUE

The proclaiming of the National League is
the next move that is expected in the policy
which the Salisbury government is pursuing
towards ireland, To understand thoroughly
the Importance of such proceeding it is
necessary to understand the circumstances
under which the National League exists.
Since the present constitutional movement
for home rule began under the lead of Mr., I
Parnell the Irish people have had patriot
&c organization or League, called first the
Land League and later the National League.
The Land League was organized by Michael.
Davitt in 1879. Mr.. Parnell was ITS first
president. The object Of the League was to
establish throughout Ireland the machinery
Q, 2rganlzatson by which a general war
might be waged on the landlords by the ten
ants. For two years the agitation was kept
up successfully, and in 1881 Mr.. Gladstone
who was then the premier, felt himself
forced to present in Parliament land bill
for the relief of tenants in Ireland. This bill
was intended to introduce three reforms
fair rent, hxity of tenure and free sale, free
sale meaning the right of tenant to assign
his interest in the land at will. This bill was
passed, but was far from satisfactory to the
AAi'b' AhO l@dhQ lNd3u6 UUlulN
that no settlement of the land question could
be satisfactory which did not abolish land
ordism, root and branch, and make the tiller
also owner of the soil, and warned the ten
ants not to take advantage of the
land act. Disorder multiplied; Mr.. Glad
stone threatened that ''the resources of civii-
zation are not yet exhausted Parnell, Dill
Ion and other leaders were arrested, troops
were hurried to Ireland, the Land League
Offices were seized, and Treasurer Patrick
Eagan fled to the continent, whence he came
to America. Then came on the period of as
sassinations, dynamite explosions, and Glad
stones coercion act; and in those times of
force the Land League was crushed out
After this 1t was that the present National
League began to exist, deriving its prestige
from the old Land League by what the Lon
don Times calls apostolic succession" AS
an auxiliary to the new National League
Patrick Egan, the exiled treasurer of the
old Land League, organized in America
branch National League.
This National League now finds itself in a
position under the Salisbury government not
unlike that of the old Land League under
the Gladstone government of 1881. BY Mr..
Gladstone's measure considerable relief was
afforded to the Irish tenantry. But times
have steadily grown worse on the Emerald
Isle, and the decline in the value of prices
has again made the rent question pressing
question. Here has been the opportunity
for the National League, and following in
the footsteps of the old Land League, it has
made war upon the landlords by beginning
the "Plan Of Campaign, by which the collec-
ton of rents has been practically stopped
This campaign has been more orderly and
less anarchical than the campaign of the old
Land League, but IL has nevertheless been
determined. 1t was to save the Irish land
lords from defeat at its hands that Lord
Salisbury recently passed the coercion act
This act is expressly intended to put an end
to the passive resistance" of the Irish peo-
pie to their landlords, a form of resistance
very different from the assassinations and
other acts which compelled Mr.. Gladstone's
government to resort to coercion after the
murder of Cavendish and Burke. The new
act, these are its words, applies to-
ANY person who shall take part in any criminal
conspiracy to compel or induce any person or
persons either not to fulfill his their legal obi
cations, or not to let hire, use or occupy any
land, or not to deal with, work for or hire any
business or occupation, or TO interfere with the
administration of law.
This policy of "letting severely alone" or
of exclusive dealing" as Mr.. Gladstone
calls it, is distinctively the policy of the Ma
tlonal League at this time. By making this
polcy criminal the crimes bill secured for
the landlord class fucrum on which to op-
crate against the National League; and a
succeeding clause of the bill prescribes a
method Of dealing with dangerous associa-
tions," providing that "if the Lord Iiepten-
ant is satisfied that any association formed
for the commission or announcement of
crime 4. e., exclusive dealing or grayer Of
fencesl exists in any part Of Ireland he "may
from time to time by proclamation declare
that the enactments of this act relating TO
dangerous associations shall come into
force" This is the machinery which has
been invented for "proclaiming the Nation
al League" After it is proclaimed the en-
actments, which provide for breaking up
meetings, Furnishing members, etc., are put
in force. Whenever the League is pro-
claimed, it seems probable that it must sue
cumb, as the old Land League did. But as
it is the main reliance of the Irish people, it
is unpleasant to contemplate the despair they
may be driven to in such an event. 1t is not
PROBABLE that the land bill, which is intend
Gu as sugar coating for the coercion bill,
would soothe them in the least.
a large number from Norway Village have
punt camps and cottages along the shore If
Pennessuwassee Lake and are camning ont
with their families. wy